Bahati Urges Ugandans to Target Regional, African Markets

What the report says

State Minister for Trade, Industry and Cooperatives David Bahati has called on Ugandan businesses to think beyond the home market and build manufacturing capacity for East African and wider African customers. According to Nile Post, he made the remarks at the Rotary Club of Mengo, where he argued that Uganda’s population of about 46 million should be seen as a starting point rather than a limit for economic growth.

Bahati said Uganda has resources that can support a stronger industrial base, including land, a young workforce, minerals and agricultural raw materials. He pointed to products such as coffee, cassava, Irish potatoes, honey and iron ore as examples of commodities that could generate more value if processed locally instead of being exported in raw form. He encouraged businesses to use available government incentives and invest in manufacturing that can compete outside Uganda.

The minister also linked his message to broader policy goals, saying local production could help reduce the country’s import bill, create jobs and produce surplus goods for export. He said Uganda should focus on making items it currently buys from abroad and on adding value to domestic raw materials.

Nile Post reported that Bahati framed the opportunity in regional terms, citing the East African Community and the African Continental Free Trade Area as large markets for Ugandan producers. His comments come as the government continues to promote industrialisation and greater self-reliance in manufacturing.